Road commission to meet with MDOT over proposed I-75 widening

By
Ryan Felton, The Oakland Press

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

The Road Commission for Oakland County is expected to meet with an engineer from the Michigan Department of Transportation at its regular meeting Thursday to discuss plans to widen I-75 in Oakland County, according to a press release.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the commission’s administrative offices at 31001 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills.

Craig Bryson, the commission’s public information officer, said the commission will make no decisions on the project; the meeting with the state department is to receive an update on where the proposal stands.

“We have long supported the effort to widen I-75 within Oakland County,” Greg Jamian, road commission chairman, said in a statement. “We are partners with MDOT in this effort, and we believe it would have a very positive impact on the entire region.”

The widening of the freeway between Eight Mile Road and M-59, and revamping interchanges along the stretch, would lead to reduced congestion and enhance commerce, Jamian said in the release.

“From the regional perspective, the I-75 widening project will be very positive for Southeast Michigan,” Jamian said. “This will be one more piece of our economic recovery.”

The plan to widen the freeway has been in discussion for years and has been criticized by opponents who call it a bureaucratic boondoggle that would fail to achieve its main goal of easing congestion.

A long-term plan from a local planning agency said construction is expected to commence sometime in 2021 and wrap up around 2035. But officials said they’d like to see initial construction under way within the next couple of years.